Chapter Four

He did not know what made him do it. Or perhaps he did, but didn't just recognize it yet. But as he took his seat beside her, and felt the warm tender skin of her hand collide with his from time to time, any doubts he had about the move he made fell away. Plus, her friend seemed welcoming enough.

"Hello." he stretched out his hand to branna. "I'm Byran Maher."

"Branna Sweeney, pleasure." She said, taking his hand. He gave his most charming smile before letting go of her hand and then turning to Aine.

"So we see again, Aine."

"Small world, Bryan." Aine said, making him chuckle.

"I guess it is." he replied.

"So, Bryan, you plan to stay?" Branna asked with no preamble, But Byran didn't seem to mind as he took a gulp from his beer and set it down to answer her.

"Actually, I do. I have done a lot of roamings, but I guess in the end, nothing beats home." He said honestly, and helped himself to some fries. They were really good, and he wondered why he had not come sooner to the pub. In truth, when he thought about it, he wondered why he even came at all, he had planned to just sit in front of the TV and watch a match, after a long day with prospective buyers and surveyors, but he had a nudge, he followed it, and here he was. And he couldn't say he regretted it one bit.

"I think so too," Aine said quietly from beside him "Nothing beats home. Being around people you love and who love you, that's priceless."

"Not to mention peaceful."

"I don't know, branna, peace? With you?" Aine managed to keep a straight face

"You little devil." And they both burst into laughter, with Bryan smiling as he ate.

No, he did not regret a thing

****

In truth, they all had a good time. Branna did most of the talking if Aine was been honest, her friend had always possessed the gift to talk your ears off. Branna was as talkative as Aine was taciturn. And they were the best of friends.

However, it was times like this, rare times really, when she sat beside an incredibly handsome man, she found herself wishing she possessed some of branna's gift. But he would sometimes turn to her just to hear her say on a matter, flustering her, and she would catch the glint in Branna's eyes. The devil's own spun that girl could sometimes be. But it was certainly a good night, they all had fun, if all the laughter and ruckus they were making was any indication.

"So Bryan, work tomorrow?" Branna asked as she leaned back on the chair, her tummy and heart blissfully full,

"Depends on how you see it, there'll be a lot of cleaning and mucking and arranging."

"Still settling in then?" Aine asked.

"Yeah, a bit." He said turning to look at her.

Oh the way he looked at her!

"Well if you need any help, let us know. Branna and I would be glad to help, won't we bran?"

"Definitely." She said, sounding genuinely upbeat.

"Thank you. I'll most definitely take you up on that offer, eventually."

"Well, I better get going. Got to feed the cat." Branna said, making to get up. Aine furrowed her brows and looked at her,

"What cat? You do not own a cat." Branna just grinned.

"Got him just today. You should stop by to see him soon. He is the cutest gingercat. Goodnight!" She said cheerfully as she got up.

"Goodnight." They replied with Aine aiming her a look that said, 'I know what you're doing and I don't think it's funny.' at which branna pretended to be non the wiser.

She would get her back, Aine would.

"Gingercat?" Aine looked up at him ready to tell him what her friend was trying to do and was stopped dead by the grin on his face.

"Gingercat." She simply said, and the both laughed.

He opted to walk with her while they headed home and she didn't dare refuse, how could she? She was beginning to like his company and she really didn't want the evening to end afterall.

****

"Tonight reminds me of the night we met." She said as they walked, gazing up at him before looking forward again

"Does it? How come?"

She screwed up her face groping for a way to articulate her words before saying,

"Well for one thing, it's night and–" she was interrupted by his burst of laughter. His laughter was rich and seemed to come from within, as though he actually found her funny. It caught her offguard.

"Don't mind me," he said, and reached for her hand, "please go on." She looked down at their joined hands and up at his smiling face. The man was creeping into heart with such stealth, and oh how he shook her balance.

"Well, I guess it's truly the way everything feels, when I think back on that day with you, and the here and now, there's this certain familiarity to the way things feel, you know?" She ended and looked up at him.

He stopped, making her halt as well,

"Do you like it?" He asked with a tilt of his head, looking at her deeply, so deeply she wanted to look away, so deeply she could not.

"Yes, yes I do." She saw something in his eyes in that moment, something she couldn't read, something oh something.

He leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead, his body yearned for more. But this was the only closeness he permitted himself to have with her. He didn't want to scare her off. Or maybe, just maybe he was scared of the emotions growing deep within him. He couldn't seem to shake them off.

"And was that for, Mr. Maher?" She asked playfully battering he eyes, in a way she hoped was cute and flirtatious enough.

"For being so damn irresistible." He said with a grin. It was her turn to laugh.

'And just how much resistable?' she teased.

' very much.' he replied with a smile.

If only she knew just how much, he thought to himself. Just how much..